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LNER Reveals 'Serenza' Tri-Mode Trains for the East Coast Main Line

The 10 ten-car Class 897 sets mark the first new fleet for Great British Railways.

Overview

  • LNER released images and specifications for the Serenza fleet set to serve the East Coast route between Edinburgh and London via County Durham and North Yorkshire.
  • The order comprises ten ten-car trains built by CAF and financed by Porterbrook.
  • Each train offers 569 seats plus wheelchair spaces with companion seating, with accessibility features co-designed to include braille seat numbers, more wheelchair room, removed seat legs, and space for assistance dogs.
  • The fleet will be the UK's first long-distance tri-mode trains, operating on overhead electric power with diesel engines and batteries to cut emissions on mixed routes.
  • Passenger upgrades include reclining First Class seats, digital information screens in every carriage, and five water bottle refill stations, with a phased introduction planned over the coming years and ministerial backing for the public-ownership model.